Bath-cabinet.



W. GIEDINGHAGEN.

BATH CABINET. I

APPLICATION HLED APR. 21, 1913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

W. GIEDINGHAGEN.

BATH CABINET. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, I913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. GIEDINGHAGEN.

BATH CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. I913.

Patented June 22, 1915. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UFFTFE.

GEDINGHAGEN, 01F MOUNT STERLING, MISSOURI.

BATH-CABINET.

intense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915..

application filed April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,545.

is supported in a recumbent position.

The invention has for its principal objects to secure compactness andsimplicity of structure; to provide a cabinet with means for treating apatient through the medium of heated air, steam, medicated vapor orshower, or by a combination thereof; to provide for the ready control ofthe character and temperature of the treating agent; to provide for theconvenient handling and comfort of the patient; and to attain certainadvantages which will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,-Figure 1is a longitudinal vertical. section through a bath cabinet illustratingan embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section; Fig. 3is an end view; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section; and Fig. 5 is adetailed View on an enlarged scale, partly in section and partly in topplan, illustrating the controlling valve for the heated air and vapormanifold.

The cabinet shown in the drawings comprises a substantially cylindrical,horizontally-disposed shell 1 having heads 2, 3, at its opposite ends.The cabinet may be supported on any suitable stand, but it is preferableto provide frame members 2, 3, which are respectively arranged forattachment to the heads 2, 3, and are connected by longitudinal tiemembers 4:.

The shell is provided on opposite sides with doors 5 which are hinged attheir upper edges, as at 6. 0n top of the cabinet are yokes 7 havingconcaved portions 7* against which the doors rest when they are swung upin open position. The heads 2, 3, are provided on their inner faces withspaced pairs of horizontal bracket members 8 having vertical openings orpockets 9, in which are mounted bearing rollers 10. These rollers arepreferably provided with flanges 11 at their ends which lie next to theheads 2, 3.

Supported between the rollers 10 is a carriage comprising channel endmembers 12 and angle side members 13 which may be fastened together byany suitable structural connections. This carriage is mounted in a planeabove the bottom edges of the side openings so that it may be movedsidewise through said openings, it being carried by the lower series ofrollers and prevented from tipping by those of the upper series.

On the laterally movable carriage is a longitudinally movable bodysupport or bed comprising angle side members 14 and end members 15.Supported by the side members 14 are a multiplicity of strips 16 whichare spaced apart and arranged so as to give a contour to the bed thatwill afford a comfortable support for the body of the patient.

This longitudinally movable body support.

is provided with flanged rollers 17 which travel on the longitudinalmembers 13 of the laterally movable carriage. At one end thelongitudinally movable body support is pro vided with a head-restextension 18 which is adapted to be projected through an opening 19 inthe head 3 of the cabinet. A. closure 20 is hinged above the opening 19,as at 20 and a hook 21 is provided for supporting this closure in openposition, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. To support the head-rest 18when it is projected through the opening 19, a bracket member 23 isswiveled vertically on the outer side of the head 3. For sometreatments, the patient may be confined entirely within the cabinet, inwhich case the opening 19 may be closed, as shown in Fig. 3, the closure20 being held by latch members 22.

Beneath the carriage is a horizontal tubu lar distributer 24:. Thisdistributer, as shown, is provided throughout its length, at the top,with a multiplicity of perforations 25, and it is also provided withperforations 26 in its ends. In some cases, however, the perforationsalong the top of the distributer may be dispensed with and only those atthe ends may be provided; and, in other cases,

the ends of the distributer may be entirely open. As shown, a guardplate 27 is arranged over the perforations in the top of the distributorso as to prevent the entrance through said perforations of any water ofcondensation or from the shower to be presently described. Thedistributer is mounted on a vertical supply pipe 28 which extends downthrough the bottom of the cabinet and communicates with a coupling 29connecting branch pipes 30, 31, which latter lead respectively from aliquid container or vapor box 32 and a hot air collector or box 33.Beneath the liquid container and hot air collector are respectivelyarranged fuel burners 34 and 35 which may be of any desirable type andsupplied from any suitable source.

The coupling 29 is provided with an internal tubular valve member 36which is closed at one end which projects below the bottom of saidcoupling member and is provided with an annular flange or rib 37 whichmay be knurled so as to serve as a handle for manipulating the valve.The valve is pro-' vided with a slot 38 whose endsterminate atdiametrically-opposite points, and the openings through which the branchpipes 30, 31 communicate with the coupling member 29, are so arrangedand proportioned that, in one position of the valve, as shown in Fig. 5,both pipes are in communication with the coupling member; and when thevalve is given a half turn from this position, communication is cut offfrom both pipes; or,

the valve may be given a quarter turn from the position shown in Fig. 5,and either of the pipes may be open to communication with the couplingmember while the other is cut off.

A steam supply pipe 39, leading from any suitable source, may beconnected to the pipe 28, as shown. This pipe 39 is provided with a cutoff valve 40.

Extending through the cabinet, close to the top thereof, is a horizontalpipe 41, from which depend a multiplicity of shower nozzles orsprinklers 42. This pipe extends downward outside the cabinet andcommunicates with a mixing chamber 43 through a pipe 44; and it isprovided with a cut-ofi valve 45 above said pipe 44. Below the pipe 44,the pipe 41 is provided with a second cut-off valve 46, said pipe belowsaid valve 46 leading off to some suitable drain or waste pipe, notshown. A drain pipe 47 leading from the bottom of the cabinet is also incommunication with this pipe 41.

Leading from any suitable source of supply to the mixing chamber 43, isa hot water supply pipe 48 having a valve 49. A branch 50 from thishotwater pipe is extended in proximity to the liquid container 32 and it isprovided with a suitable faucet 51. A cold water pipe 52, leading fromany suitable source of supply, communicates with said mixing chamber 43at the side opposite to that at which the hot water pipe 48 enters. Thispipe 52 is provided with a valve 53 similar to the valve 49 in said pipe48.

A suitable thermometer 54 may be provided on the mixing chamber 43 so asto indicate the temperature of the water therein; and anotherthermometer 55 may be provided to indicate the temperature of theinterior of the cabinet.

The doors 5 of the cabinet may be provided with openings 56 which arenormally closed by movable covers 57, so that access may be gained tothe interior of the cabinet without opening said doors 5.

A horizontal towel bar or rack 58 is mounted on brackets 58 extendingfrom the inner face of the head 3.

In the use of the cabinet, the laterally movable carriage with thelongitudinally movable body support thereon is moved outward through oneof the side openings, the door 5, of course, being swung up against thesupport 7. After the patient is placed on the body support, the carriageis moved back into the cabinet and the body support may be moved on thecarriage so as to project the head-rest 18 through the opening 19. Insuch a case, a towel hung from the rack 58 may be used to close saidopening 19 about the neck of the patient. In cases where the entire bodyis confined within the cabinet, the door 20 may be dropped down to closethe opening 19.

If only heated air treatment is to be given, the valve 36 in thecoupling member 29 is turned-so as to open communication with thecollector 33; and the burner 35 being lighted, the heat will be let intothe cabinet through the distributer 24. In some treatments, ordinarysteam or medicated vapor, as desired, may be generated from the liquidin the container 32 and supplied in conjunction with the heated air fromthe collector 33. In other cases, only the vapor treatment may be given.So, too, in some cases, the steam may be taken from the supply pipe 39.

In case a shower bath is to be given, the valve 45 may be closed and thewater from the supply pipes 48 and 52 may be let into the mixing chamber43 until the desired temperature is obtained. During this time the valve46 is opened, thus permitting the water to run off through the drainpipe. As soon as the proper temperature has been obtained, the valve 46is closed and the other valve 45 is opened, thereby admitting the waterto the shower nozzles.

If desired, a trough 59 may be movably supported in the cabinet so as tobe moved to a position under the row of shower nozzles to receive thefirst of the water that comes therefrom. By this means, if the watershould not be at the desired temperature, it will be conducted to theend of the cabinet without falling upon the patient. When the hold thetrough out of the way of the shower, a hook 61 or a plurality thereofmay be pivoted to the top of the cabinet. This arrangement also permitsthe trough to swing to either side. Obviously, it is closed at one endand inclines slightly toward the opposite end which extends to andpreferably beyond the foot of the body support.

The arrangement of the apparatus is such that it can be operated inrelatively small space and without undue discomfort to the personreceiving treatment. So, too, the

apparatus may be constructed entirely of metal and parts may be enameledor otherwise suitably coated so as to make it sanitary and easy toclean.

Obviously, the apparatus admits of considerable' modification withoutdeparting from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be'limited tothe exact construction and arrangement shown.

What I claim is:

1. In a bath apparatus, a horizontal cabinet having an open side, aclosure therefor, a wheel supported carriage'mounted in said cabinet andmovable sidewise through said open side, and a body support on said carriage.

2. In a bath apparatus, a horizontal cabinet having an open-side and anopening in its end, a carriage mounted in said cabinet and movablesidewise through said open side, and a body support movablelongitudinally on said carriage, said body support having a head-rest atits end arranged and adapted to 'move through said opening in the end ofthe cabinet.

3. In a bath apparatus, a horizontal cabinet having opposite open sidesand an opening in its end, a carriage mounted in said cabinet andmovable sidewise through either of said open sides, and a body supportmovable longitudinally on said carriage, said body support havingahead-rest at its end arranged and adapted to move through said openingin the end of the cabinet.

4.'In a bath apparatus, a horizontal cabinet having an open side and anopening in its end, a transversely movable carriage supported at itsends on the end walls of said cabinet so as to move through said openside, and a body support movable longitudinally on said carriage, saidbody support having a head-rest at its end arranged and adapted to movethrough said opening in the end of the cabinet.

5. In a bath apparatus, a horizontal, substantially cylindrical cabinethaving an opening in its side, extending the length thereof, and anopening in its end, a closure for said side opening, a transverselymovable carriage comprising a rectangular frame supported at its ends onthe end walls of said cabinet and arranged and adapted to move throughsaid side opening, an openwork body support movable lengthwise on saidcarriage and having a head-rest at its end arranged and adapted to movethrough said opening in the end of the cabinet.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, of April, 1913.

WILLIAM GIEDINGHAGEN.

Witnesses:

HAROLD SoLEM, RUDOLPH JOHNSON.

this 16th day

